Jungfrau Express 5-Star All Inclusive 2019Tour Details

London to Colmar

Our journey to Switzerland begins at our dedicated St Pancras
Departure Office. Here we board the Eurostar service to Paris,
before continuing on to the beautiful Alsatian town of Colmar,
where we overnight. We enjoy dinner in the hotel in the
evening.

In to Switzerland to Grindelwald

We continue into Switzerland today, boarding the rail service to
the beautiful mountain resort of Grindelwald, travelling via the
Swiss city of Basel. Upon arrival in Grindelwald, we walk to our
all-inclusive 5-Star hotel, the Romantik Hotel Schweizerhof.

Grindelwald is one of Europe's oldest mountain resorts,
surrounded by the dramatic peaks of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.
Its name is derived from the old German word 'grindel', meaning a
piece of wood that serves as a barrier, and the 'wald', a forest
closed off from the rest of the world. In the 1920s, with the
'invention' of skiing as a pleasure activity, Grindelwald lost its
remoteness as members of the 'Downhill Only Club' headed to the
village by train to ski. The village itself is filled with Swiss
charm and is surrounded by flower-filled meadows during the
summer.

Exploring Grindelwald

Today we board the local Grindelwald First cable-car system to
ascend the nearby mountain that shares its name with this resort.
Drifi tng up to Grindelwald First in the sky gondola is a true
delight and affords some wonderful panoramas of the magnifi cent
Alpine mountainscape. This area boasts some of the finest views
across the sharp snowy peaks which stretch up into the clear sky
above. Far below, the swathes of forests look like moss as they
encroach on the minuscule villages. Enjoy some free time here, to
breath the fresh mountain air before returning to Grindelwald.

The following day is at leisure in Grindelwald and the
surrounding area. There are a number of easy walks around this
region which are well worth trying out to make the most of this
wonderful part of the world. The town itself is very much a
traditional resort, and there are a number of cafés and bars to
relax in here.

The Jungfrau Express

Today we enjoy what is undoubtedly one of the highlights of our
stay in the Bernese Oberland, as we travel on the Jungfrau Railway
(Standard Class) to the Jungfraujoch - Europe's highest railway
station. We join our train at Grindelwald's station. Our journey
takes us to Kleine Scheidegg where we join the remarkable Jungfrau
Railway. Climbing further from Kleine Scheidegg, the distinctive
string of red and yellow carriages of the Jungfrau Railway
disappear into the tunnel through the Eiger Mountain. During the
journey the train pauses at two separate observation stops; windows
hewn out of solid Alpine rock between the tunnel and the infamous
north face of the Eiger, with spectacular views down to the valley
below.

Finally, the train arrives at Jungfraujoch, the 'Top of Europe',
located at 3454m above sea level. With free time at the summit
station, you will have plenty of time to explore the Ice Palace and
its many ice sculptures. The fascinating works of art require a
great deal of skill, thanks to the intricacy involved in creating
such ornate and decorative iceworks.

You can spend time on the Sphinx Terrace, enjoying superb views
onto the Aletsch Glacier, at 22 km the longest ice stream in the
Alps, which provides a sharp contrast to the lush meadows and
Alpine pastures of the lower lying hillsides near the valley floor.
You can also enjoy the walking plateau, which is eternally covered
in snow.

Interlaken and the Brienz-Rothorn

Today we travel to picturesque Interlaken, on the shores of two
crystalline lakes. The entire region provides a year-round
playground for walkers, climbers, hikers and skiers, combining
towering mountains with picturesque lakes and endless forests.

The charming town is wedged between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz
and is surrounded by the majestic triple peaks of the Jungfrau, the
Eiger and the Mönch mountains. Here, we carry on past Lake Brienz
to the small town that shares its name with this body of water. The
cosy village is our starting point for our ascent of the Brienz
Rothorn mountain*, and it is here that we begin an excursion by
steam mountain railway, climbing to over 5,000 feet (1,524m), to
the summit of the mountain. The summit offers fabulous views of the
deep-blue lakes below.

*Please note: This railway does not operate in the early
season. Departures before June will enjoy an excursion by rail to
Bern and a cruise along the length of Lake Thun.

Ascending the Schynige Platte

Today we take the cog railway through Alpine meadows to Schynige
Platte. We travel in restored 19th century carriages, hauled by a
vintage electric locomotive, to the peak at 6,463 ft (1,970m).
Along the way, this train hugs the side of a mountain range,
crossing bridges and tunnels on a journey which encapsulates the
true beauty of this charming region.

At the summit, why not explore the Alpine Botanical Garden, home
to around 600 plant species, or relax and drink in the views from
the café terrace? The scenery is simply breathtaking, where the
snow-capped peaks are framed by a blue Alpine sky. The sights are
postcard-worthy, with the Schynige Platte railway winding through
pine covered mountainside. Keep an eye out for the wonderful
wildlife which call these mountain peaks home.

At leisure in Grindelwald

Your day is free, perhaps to explore with your Swiss Travel Card
which gives a 50% discount on most trains, buses and lake steamers
in the area. You could travel to the Schilthorn, a summit at over
9,744 feet which overlooks the valley of Lauterbrunnen. The
mountain is ascendable by cable-car. The lakeside town of Thun is
nearby, located at the point where the River Aare flows into the
shimmering waters of Lake Thun.

Here you could visit the 12th century Thun Castle, now a museum.
Originally built around 1200 by the Dukes who called this region
home, Thun Castle displays many artefacts from Thun's history
including suits of armour, weaponry and various golden and ceramic
artefacts.

Alternatively, you could travel to the historical city of Bern,
with its wealth of Gothic and Renaissance architecture, including
the famous 'Ogre Fountain' found in the Old Town. Tonight we enjoy
a farewell dinner.

Homeward to London

This morning we begin our return home by rail, travelling to
Paris via the Swiss city of Basel. Upon arrival in Paris, we
transfer to the Eurostar service for the journey to London St
Pancras. On arrival into the English capital, your tour comes to an
end.

Recommended airports

For this tour, we recommend arriving to, and departing from,
London Gatwick or London Heathrow airport (LGW or LHR). London
Gatwick is approximately 30 miles from your start and end point,
and London Heathrow is approximately 19 miles from your start and
end point.

Visa Requirements

It is your responsibility to check and fulfil the passport,
visa, health and immigration requirements applicable to your
itinerary. We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot
travel, or incur any other loss because you have not complied with
any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.
You agree to reimburse us in relation to any fines or other losses
which we incur as a result of your failure to comply with any
passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.

Departure Times

Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be
found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices
& Availability' button. We write to all booked customers
approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise
the exact departure and return time for their particular group.

The tour was very enjoyable, lovely based hotel for getting around. The travelling was well organised although the three hours spent before boarding the Eurostar home was too long, perhaps an earlier train would have been better.
We would have liked more information regarding the number of changes from one train to another which would have been helpful and had we known would certainly have sent our luggage on ahead.

Mrs P Bound

Was over and above any preconseptions we had

Mr F Alexandre

I would have given top rating except for the inclusion of Jungfrau excursion which could be replaced and left as a free day option

Excellent hotels and itinerary. Organisation from Head Office very good (coping with French strike necessitating changes) and first class tour manager.

Katiefrom Great Rail Journeys

Thank you for the great feedback - we're really pleased to hear that you had an excellent trip!

1

I know the weather makes a difference and we had lots of sunny days but it was a well organised trip. The tour manager was excellent, the hotel a delight and the Swiss trains run on time. Highly recommended.

Mr T Hanson

Nice tour, great tour guide and hotel. We've already completed a full feedback form on the train home so don't want to repeat it thanks.

Mr J Levett

The time in Grindelwald was 5 star, the accommodation overnight in Mulhouse was not as good. The included trips were excellent although the Cheese making was not well described, if it had been described as a visit to the Swiss Heritage Museum at Ballenburg where rural crafts could be seen it would have been more meaningful.

Excellent hotel in Switzerland and tour manager. Great itinerary, very friendly group of people

Most things were excellent but the room we had was not 5* whereas some were. That is not acceptable as the cost for all guests was the same. The food was reasonable but again not 5* and the choice at dinner was very limited. The train journeys and organization of them were excellent.